Great Podcast, One thing that I can say about Pinterest is this; Make a graphic that is Aw inspiring, this might sound like a no brainer but people often just upload their product. THis my work for someone who likes your product and sees your pin, then they click it and go to your site where the product is available. But if you put up something that is relative to your product and is interesting by itself (without it being a shopping add) then it will get pinned more often. And when this happens more people will click them and at least get to your site.

My pins get naturally promoted by my followers. I believe design plays a HUGE role. And if the images make an impact and are visually appealing you won’t have to work hard to promote them. The key is, do people in your niche use Pinterest? Obviously that plays a big role too. So I think it’s less about promoting and more about understanding how design plays a significant role.

I’ve tried to get traffic via pinterest, but i’ve noticed it def. depends on the niche i’m promoting. I’m more focused on reddit, twitter, and stumbleupon right now, but if i have traffic that fits more of a female demo, i will give it another shot. Reddit’s my favorite. There is a sub-section to fit every site.

I’m getting REALLY close to saying “yes” because there seems to be a demand. More than I thought with my audience. And as I said in the podcast, if I sell it on Udemy they will hopefully get it in front of more relevant followers.

Lot’s of folks don’t want to spend the money on Photoshop because it can get expensive depending on which version one buys. There is a free alternative to Photoshop that I have found to be very powerful. It’s called GIMP and can be downloaded via http://www.gimp.org.

GIMP will rival Photoshop’s most expensive version that costs around $2000. There are tons of great plugins that can be downloaded for free as well. There are videos on Youtube that can show one how to use the software to make life easier. There are text books available via Amazon.com that are excellent sources of information for using this software.

However, the drawback to GIMP is that it has a steep learning curve. Photoshop seems to not have as steep learning curve and a little simpler to use. So there is a trade off on simplicity when getting something for free. But, if you’re willing to learn and take the time, one will find GIMP is extremely powerful and can probably do more than Photoshop’s most expensive version. And many of the methodologies use in GIMP to edit photos, create art, etc are the same as Photoshop. So GIMP isn’t totally different and the skills learned there can be used on Photoshop and vice versa.

Download it for free and see how it works. You’ve got nothing to lose and all to gain going this route.

Hi Lisa, I’ve been following you for years. I have a question regarding this whole pinterest thing. I use pictures from flickr creative commons for my blog that allow for photo modification, redistribution and free commercial use. I give credit on my blog. Here’s my question: Am I able to post those photos from flickr creative commons on pinterest to market and drive traffic to my blog? I’m interested in starting with pinterest, however I am a bit hesitant because I want to ensure i”m not breaking any laws. Thanks in advance for the follow up.

It’s really difficult to say for sure from their license agreement but I would imagine since this is not technically commercial use then it would be OK but please don’t quote me on that. Did you try dropping them an email?

Thanks Lisa for your response. No, I haven’t emailed Pinterest. However that’s a great idea. I will. Any recommendations on where to get free images for a blog/website that can also be used on Pinterest?

Great Cast, i first didnt like Pinterest that much but by Time its getting my Fav Socialsite. The only Prob i have with it is, im German and in Germany Pinterest isnt that popular yet but im pretty sure its gonna make its Way.

Thanks Lisa. This was a lot of food for thought. I am still thinking about podcasting. I am listening to your podcast as I am still working on my computer. I am not quite there yet. I see that I get a majority of my traffic from Pinterest. So I know pictures are a big plus. I plan on getting into designing also. I am still not quite there yet. Kudos Lisa

I’m a huge fan of Pinterest marketing. For some of my sites it’s now my 2nd most important traffic source (after Google). Even better, all this is done with “legitimate” marketing – no spamming, no junk – just creating good images that link to great content and getting it out there. Love it!

Pinterest is amazing- and it’s not just a social media site. For some, it’s also personal organizational tool/filing system, replacing bookmarks and lists. I have a neighbour who is totally addicted- she uses it for everything! Personally, I have only been blogging and weblishing for 6 months, and my sole interest in Pinterest was for marketing. I have been well rewarded. A few of the images I have put “out there” (I label my colouring pages using ‘Alt Text’) have already been picked up by Google…and that’s mostly through Pinterest. 🙂 From Helen ( Eastcoastmum.ca ) (also Fun Printables for Kids) 🙂

That’s so true. I know of women who literally got most of their wedding ideas from Pinterest! It’s just become a part of people’s everyday lives. And I’ve also noticed some boards ranking VERY well in Google. So yes that’s certainly another benefit.

hi lisa…
i have been using pinterest for 6,7 month to drive traffic on my blog but last week pinterest will suspended my account suddenly without any warning mail after suspended my account they say that i am doing spammer but i don’t did any thing like that so can you please tell me that if i make a new account on pinterest what should i do to stay save my account…

Hey Lisa! I enjoyed this episode a great deal. One of the things that resonates with me is how important it is to have the Pinterest button installed on your site. Seeing that button can encourage someone to interact with your content and share it on Pinterest even though they might not normally share stuff on social media.

Pinterest is trying to brand themselves as a content discovery site rather than a social media site. I think they are trying to take on Google! lol Well I don’t know about that but I would certainly search for something on Pinterest before I would on Bing or Yahoo.

And I completely support that! I’m becoming a HUGE fan of the site and I don’t think a lot of people really understand the potential for traffic. I would love for them to take on Google! Ha ha ha! Thanks for listening, Ileane.

Ileane:
You “hit the nail on the head.” Convenience stores make bank even though their prices are high BECAUSE convenience WORKS. Making it easy to share you pics (or to PIN it on your own Pinterest page) is a MUST.

And, “Leese,” thanks for sharing your photoshop pics! So, that’s how you get your pictures to be shared! 😉 I always learn something when I check out your posts. Thanks for all the tips and links to other PINterest related resources.